Activities Events and Conferences

Events and Conferences

Inauguration of the naMec Center – Florence Headquarters

Florence, April 19, 2024 – Aula Magna, University of Florence

On April 19, 2024, the official inauguration of naMec – Asian, Nomadic Cultures, Mobility and Environment Study Center – Mongolian Culture Center was held in the Aula Magna of the University of Florence. This is the first Italian interuniversity center dedicated to Mongolian culture, jointly promoted by the University of Florence (Department of SAGAS) and the University of Parma.

The event marked an important academic and diplomatic occasion, further strengthening the cultural bridge between Italy and Mongolia. The ceremony was attended by the Rector of the University of Florence, Alessandra Petrucci, the Mongolian Minister of Culture, Nomin Chinbat, the Ambassador of Mongolia to Italy, Tserendorj Narantungalag, and numerous academic authorities, including Maria Cecilia Mancini (Vice-Rector, University of Parma), Giorgia Giovannetti (Delegate for International Relations, University of Florence), Paolo Liverani (Director of SAGAS), and Massimo Magnani (Director of DUSIC, University of Parma).

Two moments were particularly significant during the inauguration. The first was an emotional performance by a musician playing the Morin Khuur, a traditional two-stringed Mongolian instrument, which opened the event. The second was the Lectio Magistralis by Professor Dulam Bumochir, cultural and religious policy advisor to the President of Mongolia and Chair of the Academic Council of the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations (IISNC), who delivered his first keynote lecture in Italy.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the administrative headquarters of the Center, located in the SAGAS Department at Via Gino Capponi 9. The event was introduced by Professors Nadia Breda (University of Florence) and Sabrina Tosi Cambini (University of Parma), Directors of the Center.

“The interuniversity center,” explained Nadia Breda, “represents the result of a long-standing collaboration between the University of Florence and Mongolia, which began in 2017. It aims to promote outreach activities developed by UniFi with a country still little known in Italy, despite its strong commercial ties: almost half of Mongolia’s cashmere is processed here.” She continued, “naMec seeks to foster connections between scholars and make UniFi’s research findings known both to the international academic community and the citizens of Florence. Special attention will be given to students from the region, not only from Mongolia but also from neighboring countries. Topics will range from ecology to the climate crisis, from anthropology to social studies, as well as art and music.”

The Center collaborates closely with the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia, with the aim of promoting academic exchanges, seminars, and multidisciplinary research. Among its key partners are the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations (IISNC) and the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture.

Watch the full video of the inauguration 

Listen to the interview with Dulam Bumochir

Download the event programme(PDF)

Read the official press review (PDF)

---

Inauguration of the naMec Center – Parma Headquarters

Parma, December 3, 2024 – Borgo Carissimi Complex

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 12:00, the Parma headquarters of the naMec Center was officially inaugurated at the Borgo Carissimi Complex of the University of Parma.

The naMec – Asian, Nomadic Cultures, Mobility and Environment Study Center – Mongolian Culture Center was established in spring 2024 by the University of Florence and the University of Parma. It is the first Italian interuniversity center focusing on Mongolia, the result of collaborative work with the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations in Ulaanbaatar, and the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia. While the Center’s administrative headquarters is based in Florence, a second location is now active in Parma, at Borgo Carissimi.

The event was attended by Maria Cecilia Mancini, Vice-Rector for International Relations and Mobility at the University of Parma; Tserendorj Narantungalag, Ambassador of Mongolia to Italy; Lorenzo Lavagetto, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture of the City of Parma; Nadia Monacelli, Rector’s Delegate for International Cooperation; Massimo Magnani, Director of DUSIC; Luana Salvarani, Deputy Director of the Department; Nadia Breda, Director of the Center and Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Florence; and Sabrina Tosi Cambini, Deputy Director and Professor at the University of Parma. The ceremony also welcomed Professors Roberta Gandolfi and Martina Giuffré, both of the University of Parma and among the promoters of naMec, Matteo Volta of the Italian Society for Museography and Ethno-anthropological Heritage, and PhD candidate Tsetsegbaatar Chuluunbaatar (University of Parma).

The Center was established with a broad and comparative thematic scope. It represents an evolving and open project, with one of its main objectives being the creation of a dialogic network of researchers. naMec works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia. It aims to attract not only scholars in Italy working specifically on Mongolia, but also those dealing with broader issues related to Asian territories, nomadism, mobility, and climate change, encouraging exchange through a multidisciplinary perspective. The Center also promotes Mongolian culture in Italy and academic and cultural exchange between the two countries, through events, seminars, and public lectures.

Download the event programme (PDF)